10 Germiest Gym Hot Spots

Surprising Gross Places In Your Gym

Zumba class, cardio equipment, free weights and fitness balls all have one thing in common besides getting you in shape: they can also get you sick, thanks to the germs that other gymgoers leave behind. So is your workout likely to land you in bed with a cold? Not if you take a few precautions, say experts.

"Germs are all around us," says Philip M. Tierno, Jr., PhD, director of clinical microbiology and immunology at the New York University Langone Medical Center and member of the Global Hygiene Council, "but most germs are not going to make you sick unless they're pathogenic [a type that causes illness] or your immune system is compromised." Germs can survive anywhere from less than a minute to a period of months, depending on the surface and the type and number of bacteria, says Dr. Tierno. In other words, we all have to live with germs—but there are plenty of smart tricks to avoid the worst ones. Here's how to keep the germs at bay while you get in shape.

1. Gym bag

Lugging your gym bag from your home to your car trunk and the gym locker room and then back home again gives germs plenty of opportunity to hitch a ride. What your bag picks up depends on where you place it, says Dr. Tierno. "For example, you may drop it on the ground, where you can find a whole assortment of things. Not all the organisms are necessarily pathogenic, however. You can't even start to differentiate the types of germs you can find."

Bug off: A simple spray of disinfectant like Lysol (Dr. Tierno uses only brand names and recommends avoiding any copycat products) protects you. Keep a disinfectant spray in the trunk of your car or stashed in your bag to spritz your bag’s surface before you bring it into the house.

2. Water bottle

Opening the sport top of your water bottle transfers germs from your hands to the bottle...and to your mouth. "At the gym you're touching machines contaminated with germs and then touching the bottle top, which transfers the germs," says Dr. Tierno. In addition, reusing your water bottle to save money may also put you at risk for a variety of bacteria and viruses, according to the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Refilling your water bottle allows germs to get a free ride on the air stream that may end up in your bottle, says Michael Schmidt, PhD, professor at the department of microbiology and immunology at the Medical University of South Carolina. "If you do reuse it, fill it up well outside the locker room, preferably in your own kitchen, away from the gym." And never share your water bottle. Norovirus (the "cruise ship" virus), a rapidly-spread intestinal virus, can be transferred this way.

Bug off: Recycle a disposable bottle and wash your hands with soap and water or use an alcoholic gel before you leave the gym, says Dr. Tierno. Or, choose a reusable bottle with a spout you can pull open with your mouth instead of your hands.

3. Aerobic class

Crowded fitness classes make it easy to inhale germs, particularly influenza, which is transmitted through large respiratory droplets, says Dr. Schmidt. Keep yourself approximately six feet away from anyone who's coughing and may be contagious.

Bug off: A proactive approach works best to protect yourself from the flu, says Dr. Schmidt, who recommends the flu vaccine. Short of that, wash your hands before and after class, don't touch your face unnecessarily, and use soap and water or alcohol-based hand gels.

The 10 Worst Germ Hot Spots

4. TV remote control

Watching TV while doing cardio makes time fly, but those built-in remote controls on the cardio machines are breeding grounds for just about everything from MRSA and E. coli to the flu and even the norovirus, says Dr. Schmidt. A study published in the Journal of Medical Virology showed TV remotes—such as the community remotes that get passed around the gym—are a host for rhinovirus, which causes the common cold.

Bug off: Avoid touching your face until you've washed your hands, says Dr. Schmidt. Then use soap and water or an alcohol-based gel as soon as you can.

5. Bathroom soap dispenser

Yup, the same device designed to rid your hands of harmful bacteria can also cause illness. "Some bacteria can actually grow on the materials we use to wash and/or sanitize our hands," says Dr. Schmidt. The nastier ones are members of the genus Pseudomonas, an organism that can attack any part of the body. It does not typically affect healthy people but usually causes disease in people with weakened immune systems. A biofilm (a layer of microorganisms) of bacteria can grow on alcohol that seeps out and evaporates to a concentration, allowing the germs to multiply, says Dr. Schmidt.

Bug off: For protection, grab a paper towel and use it to touch the soap dispenser, then lay the towel down and wash your hands. Pick up the same towel to do the initial hand drying or use it to turn the handle of the towel dispenser, says Dr. Schmidt.

6. Water fountain

On days when you forget your water bottle, the water fountain may be your only hydration choice. Proceed at your own risk, says Dr. Tierno. "Some people hit the spout with their mouths and others may even spit in it, so user beware. The more people that use the fountain, the worse it is." The highly-contagious norovirus can easily spread this way. The button to turn on the fountain may also be rife with germs.

7. Steam rooms

The floor is your biggest danger in a steam room, says Dr. Tierno. "If you walk barefoot and have even a small crack in your skin, you can easily introduce a fungus and end up with a low-grade infection." Wooden benches can also harbor germs, especially if gym-goers sit on them naked, he adds.

Bug off: Always wear flip-flops in a steam room and sit on a towel if you use the benches.

8. Fitness balls

Inflatable fitness balls and weighted medicine balls can be used for everything from crunches to weight workouts and group exercise. Germs find them fun, too. Dr. Tierno cultured medicine balls at a gym and found Staphylococcus aureus, a common cause of staph infections, which can (in extreme cases) be potentially fatal. "You won't get sick as long as you don't have an open cut or touch your hands and face," Dr. Tierno says.

Bug off: Use an alcohol spray or disinfectant wipes on your hands after using the balls, and keep face towels separate from towels you use on the equipment. " Or put an 'x' on one side of the towel that you use to indicate the dirty side, and lay it on the ball or equipment," says Dr. Tierno.

9. Kids' play area

The germs to worry about in the day care play area range from staph and strep, common skin flora, to the ones associated with ineffective hand hygiene, ranging from E. coli and norovirus, says Dr. Schmidt. "Each day your kids could be experiencing the same risks that you take while cruising on a ship." While doorknobs are notorious for germs, the toys within the facility present the greatest concern for the kids.

Bug off: Teach your children to wash their hands before and after eating and especially when using the restroom, and to avoid touching their faces, says Dr. Schmidt. "The eyes, nose and mouth are an entry point for microbes." Wash your own hands as soon as you're able or use an alcohol sanitizer after leaving the premises.

10. Spinning bikes

Before you start adjusting your bike in your cycling class, you may want to disinfect the handlebars and seat, says Dr. Schmidt. "Handlebars and seats, particularly if they're made from a soft and squishy material, can contain germs ranging from staph, including MRSA, to strep, E. coli and other things that cause gastrointestinal upsets." (Some companies even sell sanitary handlebar grips you can buy to protect yourself.)

Bug off: Take a tissue, pour alcohol hand gel on it and apply it liberally to the surfaces you touch, including the seat of the bike, says Schmidt. "Allow the alcohol to air dry for a few minutes since it’s the drying and evaporation of the alcohol that kills the germs." It disinfects as it dries, so if you get it on your hands it works there, too. Or wipe down the surfaces with disinfectant wipes. Wash your hands after the class as soon as possible. A laundered and bleached towel also protects you, says Dr. Schmidt.

A Part of Hearst Digital Media
Prevention participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites.